POTEAU—At some universities, strong community relationships help BCM connect with students who do not know Christ. That is exactly what happened at Carl Albert State College (CASC) in Poteau. Community members in Poteau regularly pray for students who do not know Christ and invite them to BCM events. Through those community efforts, a CASC wrestler named Weslee came to faith in Christ.
“From a kingdom standpoint, God just worked and moved to bring this young man to us,” said Clay Phillips, BCM director at CASC.
Weslee wrestled in North Carolina during high school before choosing Carl Albert State College for his first year of collegiate wrestling. During his first week of classes, another wrestler, Bailey, invited Weslee to attend Collegiate Week at Falls Creek. Although Weslee had never attended church before, he accepted the invitation.
The invitation happened in a class taught by Susan Hill, a Sunday School teacher and the wife of Bentley Hill, the former BCM director at CASC before Phillips.
Later that day, Weslee shopped for supplies when Susan Akers offered to help him find what he needed since he was new to town. During the shopping trip, she asked Weslee about his life and where he came from. She also invited him to her church, Southside Baptist Church, where Susan Hill taught Sunday School. Weslee told her he would think about it.
Akers later contacted Hill, her friend, and told her about Weslee. Hill recognized the name, and the two women committed to praying for him.
Two days later, Phillips drove a van full of college students to Falls Creek for the camp, with Weslee sitting in the passenger seat beside him. Phillips learned more about Weslee during the drive not knowing that Hill and Akers were already praying for him.
On the second night of camp, Phillips shared the Gospel with Weslee, who began to cry. Phillips asked him what was wrong, and Weslee said he believed everything Phillips had shared about the Gospel but did not know how to follow Christ.
That night, Phillips led Weslee to Christ.
Later that day, Phillips called Hill to tell her about Weslee’s profession of faith. During the conversation, Phillips learned the two women had been praying for Weslee. Upon returning from camp Weslee took Akers up on her offer and began attending Southside where Kevin and Laura Scott adopted him through the church’s adopt a college student program. Since August, the Scott’s and Southside invested in Weslee and became a home away from home for him.
